When one Lift the Load participant couldn’t finish his kilometres because his wife was having a baby, other fundraisers stepped in to cover them.
For Sarah, it was one of the moments that captured the spirit of the campaign: people showing up for one another.
As Lift the Load 2026 wraps up, we spoke with Sarah, Community Fundraising Manager at Top Blokes, about the people who brought it to life, the conversations sparked by a weighted vest and the connections she hopes will continue long after October.
When you look back on this year’s Lift the Load for Mental Health, what are you most proud of?
The commitment of our Lifters, the encouragement for their fellow fundraisers and the passion to do more for young men’s mental health have blown me away.
People have been sharing their stories throughout our Lift the Load community, including people who haven’t been able to open up before. They’ve made the courageous decision to share their mental health journey to help others.
For me, that’s what Lift the Load for Mental Health is about. Bringing the community together to share their stories, with the aim of helping other young men, is truly inspiring.
How have people brought others into the challenge?
One of the biggest things that has stood out is the way people have brought their mates and colleagues along.
We’ve seen workplaces taking on the challenge together, Managing Directors from workplaces like AusSteel and PX Partners leading by example, and Top Blokes past graduates getting involved with their school friends.
Politicians have also jumped on board, creating their own team called the Bench Pressers led by Special Envoy for Mens Health, Dan Repacholi MP. Seeing young men share their own perspectives and experiences of receiving Top Blokes support and mentoring, while encouraging others to support the cause, is so meaningful.
There’s no one type of person that participates, and there’s no single way to make a difference.
That support has carried through to our Facebook group, too. When a participant couldn’t complete his challenge because his wife was having a baby, other people jumped in and took on his remaining kilometres. Seeing the community step up for one another like that has been a real highlight.
Which other moments have stayed with you?
Our ambassadors, Dr Justin Coulson and Kieran Foran, brought the Central Coast community together to walk 50km and raise more than $90,000.
Being there on the day and watching people push themselves to complete the full distance with their vests on was something special. At one point, someone took on another participant’s vest and carried 20kg.
Having Justin and Kieran use their platforms to talk about the need for support for young men helped bring people behind the cause.
Jai Menser also stands out. He did the Top Blokes program years ago and is still finding ways to share the positive impact it had on him. He worked so hard to bring his community behind a 12-hour challenge at the Terrigal Skillion. That ongoing connection to the program, and his passion for supporting other young men, means a lot.
Is there a fundraiser whose story you think more people should hear?
Big Dom is a great story to share.
When Dom started hearing from close family and friends about the struggles they were having, he began asking questions. He wanted to do something that would support them and others like them.
Lift the Load really resonated with him, and he has become an amazing advocate for the campaign and the work we do at Top Blokes.
Alongside his fundraising, he’s been actively posting in our Facebook group throughout the challenge, encouraging others and helping them keep going. He feels proud to be part of something bigger than himself.
What kinds of conversations has the vest helped start?
There have been quite a few people sharing their experiences of how the vest has sparked conversations.
One fundraiser, a Mental Health First Aider who works in a fly-in, fly-out role, decided to approach the challenge differently. He wanted to wear the vest around his workplace throughout October to prompt questions and start conversations.
We also heard about two fundraisers who passed each other on a beach in NSW. One was wearing a Top Blokes hat he’d earned, and the other was wearing the weighted vest. They stopped to talk and encourage each other with their challenges.
And there’s a teacher in northern NSW who wears his vest in the classroom throughout October.
People have found ways to bring the campaign into their everyday lives and create opportunities to talk about mental health.
What has this community helped make possible?
At the time of this interview, our community had raised just over $720,000 with 3,568 fundraisers signed up.
Behind those numbers are people across the country who have given their time to take on a physical challenge, bring their mates along, share their stories and start conversations about mental health.
The funds raised help make our work with boys and young men possible.
Young people need opportunities to build trust over time, ask questions without judgement and practise skills they can use as they move into adulthood. Our long-term programs focus on giving young men the skills, confidence and support to look after their mental health, build positive relationships and navigate life’s challenges.
Now the challenge has finished and the vest has come off, what would you love people to keep doing?
Keep having those conversations.
The challenge might have ended and the vest might come off, but the issues we’re talking about don’t disappear.
I’d love people to keep checking in with their mates, having honest conversations and sharing their stories. That can help others feel less alone and more willing to ask for help.
For anyone who has connected with Top Blokes through Lift the Load, we’d love you to stay involved. That might mean joining another fundraising event, keeping in touch through our monthly newsletter or coming back for Lift the Load in 2027.
Mental health isn’t something we talk about for a month and then move on. We want those conversations, connections and support to remain all year round.
What would you say to everyone who walked, donated, shared their story or encouraged someone along the way?
Thank you for giving your time, your energy and putting yourself out there.
No matter how many kilometres you completed or how much you raised, you played a part in bringing attention to young men’s mental health and the need to support them.
It’s easy to focus on the things we can count, like funds raised and kilometres travelled. Behind those numbers is a community that is passionate about supporting young men across Australia.
Thank you for helping us Lift the Load.
